Flower power

Dan Mold shows you how to take bloomin’ brilliant flower close-ups

- Dan Mold

THE MISSION

Use a kit lens to shoot a flower in natural light

Time needed

30 minutes

Skill level

Beginner

Kit needed

• Tripod

• 5-in-1 reflector

With summer coming into full swing, you’ll have access to an abundance of floral subjects to shoot in your garden, and even if you don’t have access to a blossoming garden, you can always head outside with a flower from a shop-bought bouquet.

Macro lenses can certainly be helpful for getting frame-filling shots, though great results can still be achieved with a humble kit lens like Canon’s EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, which has a close focusing distance of just 25cm for frame-filling floral shots.

We’re going to show you how to get amazing professional results without any studio lights, using natural sunlight only. Natural light doesn’t offer the absolute control, however you can still manipulate it with a reflector or diffusing ‘scrim’. We recommend a cheap 5-in-1 reflector that has white, black, gold and silver sides as well as a scrim layer too. Here’s what you need to know…

SET UP TO USE A 5-IN-1 A REFLECTOR

Discover what the different sides of a reflector can be used for

01 NO REFLECTOR